


Magic Trick

by Raja_Myna



Category: Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 13:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13248843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raja_Myna/pseuds/Raja_Myna
Summary: Billy's not all that pleased to be woken up by the phone going off. Loki doesn't care, he's got something to show Billy and what is a call at ungodly o'clock in the morning between friends?For the Young Avengers holiday gift exchange on tumblr.





	Magic Trick

**Author's Note:**

> For chisketches on tumblr. Chi requested Billy/Loki, Magic trick. I... don't really want to admit how many times I rewrote this thing. Mainly because I don't remember. I wanted it to be kind of fluffy, but my brain was just not cooperating. I had to pretty much beat the angst off of this with a stick. Hope I succeeded.
> 
> I had intended to post this last week, but I didn't have time and then I didn't have internet. Better late than never though, I hope.
> 
> Enjoy!

The phone rings and it's too early for this. Billy groans something unprintable and stumbles out of bed to make a grab for the offending piece of technology. It takes two tries before he manages to answer it. The sudden darkness as the screen deactivates when he holds the phone to his ear leaves him blinking. “Mm'ello?” mumbles he and tries to get his brain working.

“Hey Billy!” And though he can't quite place it yet, Billy knows this voice. So it's a friend. Give him a few moments and he'll be able to tell which one of them it is. He glances at the glow-in-the-dark clock on the opposite wall and smiles grimly when the slight greenish glow stabilises into solid shapes displaying the time. He'll be able to tell which one of them it is _he will strangle_ because he does not appreciate being woken at _four flipping o'clock_ in the morning.

“I've got something really cool here you need to see,” entreats the friend(? Dubious, real friends don't sound so chipper at this hour, right?).

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” says Billy, and if he's speech is somewhat muddled by sleep and annoyance, at least he's coherent. Which is more than one can say about his thoughts, irritation being the only thing capable of cutting through the haze.

“Uuh,” says the friend, and Billy's faculties finally kick in and register the identity of his mystery caller, “O-three fifty-eight?”

“Loki,” hisses Billy.

“Yes?”

The god seems to be trying for innocence. He falls short. Incredibly short.

“What could possibly be worth waking me at _four in the goddamn morning_?” He would have raised his voice in frustration, but _Billy_ is a nice person, conscious of the other people within hearing distance and knowing that he would be the one blamed for waking them. …which might be Loki's plan, the god is occasionally an ass like that, even with their current more than amicable relationship taken into consideration.

There's a pause, and then Loki drawls slowly, “Well, if you get here soon, I'll show you.”

There's a soft promise in Loki's voice, one that Billy notes and then disregards entirely. “Where are you,” says Billy, a different sort of promise entirely hovering at the edges of his words.

He can almost hear the smile on Loki's face stretching as the god gives him an address. Billy hangs up the phone without a word. It takes him three to get dressed with and no less than six to teleport to where Loki claims he will be waiting.

It is early enough in the morning so that while the small park may not completely empty, it's still. Quiet. The only motion, the only sound, comes from where Loki, sole presence other than Billy and a couple of squirrels up a tree, sits on a swing, barely rocking back and forth, his feet resting on the ground, and the stiff breeze drifting through the trees and ruffling the god's hair.

Billy lifts his shoulders and burrows his nose into a scarf he magics up with a thought to ward off the chill of the wind. “Four o'clock,” says he in greeting. The strain in his voice is audible even to himself. He walks up closer and eventually sits down on the swing beside the god.

Loki tips his head in acknowledgement. “As good a time as any, I figured.” He pauses, takes in Billy's face. “You don't agree, I take it?”

“What gave it away?” says Billy dryly.

“Oh,” Loki gives him a sideways look, “the magic sparking off of you might me a clue. And that expression. And how annoyed you sound. And –” he breaks off, barely keeping a straight face. The tug at the god's lips can't be fully suppressed however, and Billy can feel the annoyance melting a little in the face of Loki's good humour.

“So. I'm up, I'm here and I'm pissed. Now's a good time for whatever you thought was so important it couldn't wait until morning.”

For one short moment, Loki looks sheepish. He immediately tries to cover it up. “It's… not ready yet.”

The glare forms without Billy's conscious effort, but he doesn't disagree with it. Loki raises his hands as if to ward it off. “You took the fast way here!” defends he rapidly. “I didn't think you'd take the fast way.” Loki pulls a face that is just short of a pout. One of the squirrels starts to climb down the tree, and in the relative silence of the park, Billy can make out the sounds it makes as it scurries down.

“As opposed to walking here?”

“It's only four streets.” Loki's definitely pouting now. “Any chance you could go back and take the slow way here?”

“Not at all.”

Loki sighs theatrically and pushes his feet against the ground to pick up some speed on the swing. He looks up at the sky and frowns. Billy's stomach churns a little and he starts to feel bad. He raises an eyebrow.

“Am I ruining your plans or something?”

Taking a deep breath, Loki makes to sigh dramatically again, but after a moment of contemplation he just sags slightly. “Not really. But I'll have to rework them a bit.”

“Rework them quick, then. I don't know about you, but I need sleep before we get to that holiday party.”

Loki gives him a dry look. “Billy, you're Jewish and I'm a god. I think we can be forgiven for skipping out on a Christmas party.”

“Holiday party,” corrects Billy, but his heart's not really into it. Even if he's not been the best Jew lately, celebrating yule with a group of Wiccans (incidentally, they were really happy at his presence, even though he hadn't come in costume), there was a lot of 'Christmas' about that party, despite it supposedly being for everyone, and he wasn't all that eager about attending.

“Whatever,” says Loki, waving his hand dismissively and sounding like the epitome of teenager. “You'll just have to wait a bit.” The god paused, slowed his swinging and turned halfway to meet Billy's eyes. “Is it really that bad to spend some time here with me?”

Ah, okay, annoyance gone. Bye bye, Billy will miss it. Loki's eyes can be classified as a weapon. Billy's pretty powerless in the face of what is (probably) honest emotion from the god. And Loki knows it, the cheater.

Up in the tree, the other squirrel makes its way for the trunk, following in the steps of it's kin, which has now reached the bottom of the tree and is sitting on a root.

“It's not so bad,” admits Billy slowly, tracing the second squirrel with his eyes. “And I'm not really psyched about that party either.”

Loki lights up like Billy just made his night. Or, well, morning. A small, hesitant smile creeps up on Billy's lips in response.

“So you won't hold a grudge for this?”

Billy mulls it over, turning the question in his head as he starts to rock back and forth on the swing. “No,” answers he eventually. “But I will hold it over your head. For ever and ever and ever and–” he breaks of and laughs at Loki's slowly returning pout.

“You're teasing me,” complains Loki. “You never used to tease me. I've been a bad influence!”

Billy laughs harder. Later, he will blame the early hour and the lack of sleep for his nearly hysterical humour. Right now it's just hilarious hearing Loki bitching himself out.

Loki kicks at the ground, picking up speed once again. A flash of mischief crosses his face and he reaches out to grab the chain of Billy's swing. The sudden jerk nearly sends Billy to the ground, unprepared and unbalanced by laughter as he is. Loki apparently mistakes his own momentum however, as he actually does fall off his.

There is a short pause as Loki stares blankly at Billy from where he's sitting on the ground.

“What was that for?” says Billy, trying not to sound like he's just barely keeping himself from giggling. He is pretty sure he fails, but it's okay, really.

“I felt like it,” says Loki. But he looks away toward the squirrels, both sitting on top of that root. Just for that barest of moments, he avoids looking at Billy and Billy just knows he's not been told the truth.

He doesn't contest it though. He just hums, because Loki is an excellent liar and if Billy caught it, surely Loki meant for him to? Or maybe…

He forces the thought away. Sometimes, the headache isn't worth it.

“So,” says he instead, because the thought just occurred to him and he wants something to distract himself, “is that thing of yours ready yet?”

“Oh, the lines you just handed me,” groans Loki. Billy thinks it over, kicking at the sand and blushing once he realises what Loki is hinting at. “No. I thought you'd be here in about a minute, so you'll have to be patient a little while longer, I'm afraid.”

“I can live with a minute.”

“Good. I'm not in the mood for a resurrection quest.”

“But you'd do it anyway?” It's not really a question.

“About as much as you would, I suppose.”

And that's kind of sweet, but Billy just knows that saying so would not be appreciated. Instead he stays silent and watches the squirrels. After a while Loki, still sitting on the ground, tugs at his sleeve.

“Join me,” says the god quietly. He pulls harder and Billy lets himself slip from the swing and sits down beside Loki.

“What?” says Billy, echoing the silent tone.

“It's starting. Just watch.”

So as magic starts to dance through the air Billy leans against Loki's shoulder and does just that.


End file.
